Theater manager says staff had to follow protocol to deal with problem.

Theater manager says staff had to follow protocol to deal with problem.

James Taylor took time during his concert last Saturday night to chat about his life, to share the stories behind the songs. He supplemented his comments with a homey video that showed things like snapshots from his past, including his nephew as a toddler. The nephew was named after him, and the video served to introduce the song "Sweet Baby James." Most people at the Morris Performing Arts Center enjoyed the blending of folksy chatter and pictures with Taylor's music. A couple of obnoxious guys, however, apparently didn't. One offered his opinions from the balcony, while the other hollered from the back of the main floor that he wanted Taylor to shut up and sing. It was a distraction in an otherwise wonderful show. Dennis Andres, Morris manager, said he received a handful of complaints about the disturbance. So how does the auditorium handle a heckler who goes too far? What is the protocol? Andres said heckling doesn't happen very often, and when it does, it usually is at a comedy show, when a member of the audience engages in repartee with the entertainer. Taylor at first responded to the main-floor heckler, then tried to ignore him. When the heckler made another comment, the audience booed him. Andres said the Morris staff follows the wishes of the show's promoter when someone acts inappropriately in the audience. He said he consulted with Taylor's manager and with the promoter, and both of them asked to have the problem addressed. The balcony guy started to behave after being told by auditorium officials to pipe down or leave, Andres said. The downstairs guy at first refused to leave. He was on the verge of creating a major distraction, so Morris authorities called for help from an off-duty police officer who was providing security. The man went with the officer to the auditorium's lobby, where Andres and the officer explained that the ticket was a revocable contract, and it was being revoked. The man left after a short discussion, Andres said. His date, on the other hand, remained in the foyer and argued with Morris personnel about her alleged right to remain. Her comments drifted into the auditorium, causing a distraction for patrons near the back. When the security officer radioed for a police officer to come to the auditorium, the woman decided to leave on her own, Andres said. Everyone would have liked for the staff to act faster, he said, but they had to follow protocol. "We're sorry it interrupted the show," he said. One patron suggested that the Morris should offer James Taylor a public apology for the disturbance of his concert. Andres responded that the theater was not the offending party, and "the apology should come from the guy who acted like a jerk." Another issue that raised a few comments was the congregation of smokers in front of the theater. The Morris is a smoke-free building, so smokers often gather on the sidewalk before the show and during intermission. They create a smoke screen that other patrons have to pass through on their way in or out. Andres said he checked with the city legal department and was advised that smoking is allowed on public sidewalks, including the one in front of the Morris. As a reformed three-pack-a-day smoker himself, Andres said he sympathizes with the patrons who don't like to walk through the smoke. "Is it inconvenient to pass through that smoke?" he asked rhetorically. "Yes." Andres said he put urns in front of the theater to collect the cigarette butts, and he encourages people to use them. Someone suggested putting the urns in the plaza across the street, he said, to entice smokers away from the front door. He worried about having people crossing the street when vehicles are arriving to drop off theatergoers. All he can do, Andres said, is tell patrons that management would prefer they not smoke, but if they do, they should use the urns to dispose of their butts. Nobody wants the unpleasant task of picking up their litter. Nancy J. Sulok's columns appear on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. You can reach her at nsulok@sbtinfo.com, or by writing c/o South Bend Tribune, 225 W. Colfax Ave., South Bend, IN 46626, telephone (574) 235-6234.